FCA closes Dodge Viper plant. End of an era

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The Viper was great at first because it was unique, but now it's old news.

Wake me up when FCA actually starts putting all that exotic car energy and innovation into their run of the mill cars.
 
You can still buy one if you want one. They've sold a few over the years.

I doubt the Demon has had any appreciable effect on Viper sales. They are different types of cars.

I like mine, but it's not really an everyday type of car. It can get hot, it's loud, it requires commitment and ability to drive it to it's capability, and it's not very forgiving of mistakes. In other words, it's great fun.

But lots of people don't want to, or know how to shift a manual transmission. Frequently those that don't know how to shift, don't want to learn. They like the idea of paddles that approximate the video games they grew up on. They want want an experience that doesn't demand involvement in their super car. At least those are the comments I've heard most often from people that have considered a Viper, only to buy other performance cars.
 
They've done this before I believe. Why does everyone hate the viper? It's like the only sports car that comes from the factory with a good sounding exhaust, not a Honda civic quiet sounding exhaust.
 
Although not my style, the Viper is a competent, high performance automobile. I'd happily drive one as long as I didn't have to pay for it; with my own money I'd buy something different (but with a manual transmission, as I like to be involved in the driving experience).

Good car, though, very purpose-built and if you fit the buyer profile, certainly worth a look.
 
Officially, FCA cancelled the Viper because of declining sales. A second factor was that the Viper is non-compliant with the latest airbag curtain regulations, and it would have been a big expense to design and qualify. The airbag regulation probably had more to do with the exact timing of the end of Viper production, but it was going to happen anyway.

As a supplier, we were contracted for 2000 annually. They never made anywhere that sort of annual volumes on the gen 5 Viper. Sales have went down every year since it's introduction, with less than 700 sold in 2016.

It's kind of sad, because the Viper was a real prestige car for Chrysler, particularly when it was introduced. A lot of people that would never have normally even looked at a Chrysler product, were crazy over the Viper and it's now long forgotten little sister, the Stealth. I can't help but wonder if the Viper would have continued on if it was still Chrysler, instead of FCA.
 
I thought they stopped selling Vipers 10 years ago. Haven't seen a Viper in 10 years. See Corvettes.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I thought they stopped selling Vipers 10 years ago. Haven't seen a Viper in 10 years. See Corvettes.


They did, but I think they resumed a few years back.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
I thought they stopped selling Vipers 10 years ago. Haven't seen a Viper in 10 years. See Corvettes.


The 4th gen ended with the '10 model year. The 5th gen started with the '13 model year.
 
Why you need a Viper when you can have a Ferrari? They are owned by the same company, Fiat.

...and the questions are "why are sales so low?"

Turns out there are a lot of insanely fast and powerful cars out there which outperforms and puts the Viper in its (last) place.
 
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Yes, they are both the same company now, but different enough that they offer their own unique experience. Sergio is who gave the green light to reintroduce the Viper in '13.

I wouldn't be surprised if a new Viper is produced which meets the side-curtain air bag requirement, at some point. Of course the big old V10 might be done, as it flies in the face of the current trend of small displacement forced induction engines that have to meet strict fuel economy mandates.

All the more reason to buy a Viper with that great hulking V10, while you can.

As for performance, there aren't any production cars under a million dollars, which can beat a current model Viper ACR around a racetrack..
 
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Actually I take that back. After looking at the current production car lap records, not even the million+ dollar cars can't beat the current Viper ACR around Laguna Seca. Both the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1 are slower.

The video I posted wasn't it's best time. The same Viper ACR with the same driver, has run a best of 1:28.65
 
"... the Viper and it's now long forgotten little sister, the Stealth."

I thought the Viper was the Viper and the Stealth was a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000 GT?

(signed) Ignorant
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
"... the Viper and it's now long forgotten little sister, the Stealth."

I thought the Viper was the Viper and the Stealth was a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000 GT?

(signed) Ignorant


Yes, it was. But it still helped create the image that Dodge was, once again, a performance car company. At the time the Stealth was the poor man's Viper. Keep in mind that at the time it was introduced, it was quite a different market than it is now. There was nowhere near the selection of great performing cars as there are now. So the Stealth was a pretty decent car at the time.
 
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